An Assessment of Contextual Mediation in Trance States of Shamanic Journeys
James Houran, Rense Lange, Michelle Crist-Houran
Perceptual and Motor Skills August 1, 1997 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1997.85.1.59 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Shamanic journey experiences |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key findings | Experiential content of shamanic trances was consistent with contextual variables, with embedded cues correlating at r = .68. Trance states appear structured enough to suppress contextual effects on modality, suggesting content is not solely due to psychopathology, biochemistry, or culture. |
Abstract
30 experiences of shamanic journeys derived from Harner (1990) were analyzed based on a recent coding scheme for contextual variables proposed by Lange, Houran, Harte, and Havens. Consistent with previous research, the experiential content of the trances was quite consistent with the content of the available contextual variables, and embedded cues in particular ( r = .68, p < .001). As predicted, trance states of shamanic journeys are sufficiently structured to suppress contextual effects on the modality of experience. The findings suggest that the contents of shamanic trance are not solely influenced by psychopathology, biochemical effects, or cultural influences.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology Cogent Psychology April 24, 2017
- Does the Concept of “Altered States of Consciousness” Rest on a Mistake? International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2007
- Phenomenological Analysis of Experimentally Induced Visual Mental Imagery Associated with Shamanic Journeying to the Lower World International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2006
- Scoping review on shamanistic trances practices. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies November 4, 2024
- Some Rudimentary Problems Pertaining to the Construction of an Ontology and Epistemology of Shamanic Journeying Imagery International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2008
and 4 more in the library
Cites 5
- Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1983
- Paths beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision Buddhist-Christian Studies 1995
- Magico-Religious Practitioner Types and Socioeconomic Conditions Cross-Cultural Research February 1, 1986
- Shamanism and Altered States of Consciousness: An Introduction Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
- shamanism and schizophrenia: a state‐specific approach to the “schizophrenia metaphor” of shamanic states American Ethnologist August 1, 1983